Tool carriage ring for pipe cleaning machines



April 21, 1953 R. A. J. DAWSON TOOL CARRIAGE RING FOR PIPE CLEANING MACHINES Filed July 6, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: ROBERT A.J. DAWSON BY a z.

ATTORNEY April 21, 1953 4 R. A. J. DAWSON 2,635,270

TOOL CARRIAGE RING FOR PIPE CLEANING MACHINES Filed July 6, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR:

ROBERT A. J. DAWSON ATTORNEY April 21, 1953 R. A. J. DAWSON 2,635,270

TOOL CARRIAGE RING FOR PIPE CLEANING MACHINES Filed July 6. 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR:

ROBERTA. J. DAWSON ATTORNEY April 21, 1953 R. A. J. DAWSON 2,635,270

TOOL CARRIAGE RING FOR PIPE CLEANING MACHINES Filed July 6, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR:

ROBERT A. J. DAWSON ATTORNEY run on the rollers.

Patented Apr. 21, 1 953 TOOL CARRIAGE RING FOR PIPE CLEANING MACHINES Robert A. J. Dawson, Houston, Tex.

' Application July 6, 1948, Serial No. 37,124

6 Claims. 1

This invention pertains to split hollow driven shafts and more particularly to such a shaft adapted to carry the tools of a pipe cleaning machine.

Pipe cleaning machines of the general type here considered are well known, one form thereof being illustrated and described in U. S. Patent 1,611,920, granted December 28, 1926, to Frank Kinzbach. Such machines comprise a bearing annulus that is placed over the pipe to be cleaned and a tool carriage ring also placed around the pipe. The ring rotates about the pipe inside the bearing. Anti-friction means such as rollers may be placed between the ring and annulus. The ring is driven from a source of power which may be mounted on a crawler frame adapted to ride on top of the pipe and advance the whole machine automatically along the pipe.

In such a machine as just described, there exists the problem of getting the tool carriage ring and bearing annulus around the pipe. Either they must be slipped over one end of the pipe or they must be split to allow them to be put in position at a point between the ends of the pipe. The aforementioned Kinzbach patent is an example of the latter type of construction.

the rotating ring must be provided with a drive surface combine to increase the difficulty in providing a suitable hinge for the tool carriage ring. The hinge cannot extend directly beyond the outer diameter of the ring or it will interfere with the track or drive surface, whichever is of larger diameter. Nor can the hinge extend to one side of the ring beyond the outer diameter of the ring because of the width and clearance limitations. On the other hand a hinge of ordinary construction cannot be placed with its pivot axis inside the outer diameter of the ring without relieving the ring on either side of the hinge to leave room for the parts of the ring beyond the pivot axis to come together, and such a construction cannot be used because the track and drive surface must be of full diameter at all points and cannot be relieved. The problem was This invention pertains to a split tool carriage ring.

It is necessary that the joints between the parts of the split annulus and ring be such as to accurately align the parts again after they have been separated to place them over the pipe. Also, the joints must not interfere with the bearing surfaces of the annulus and ring nor with the drive surface of the ring. It is relatively easy to provide suitable joints for the bearing annulus since it is on the outside and stationary. A suitable arrangement comprises a hinge at one joint and a lock bolt at the other, the annulus being divided into two parts along a diameter thereof. A similar construction is shown in the Kinzbach patent. The hinge serves to maintain axial alignment of the parts of the annulus even when they are separated. Some difficulty is met however in adapting the hinge type of joint to the tool carriagering, as will appear hereinafter.

In order to reduce the weight and complexity of the rotating ring as much as possible, it is desirable to mount the rollers on the annulus and to provide the ring with a smooth track to For like reason it is desirable to make the ring of less width than the annulus and to leave as little clearance as possible between the ring and the tool mounts carried by the ring. These circumstances plus the fact that not solved by Kinzbach who resorted to a nonhinged construction as described in his patent.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved joint for a tool carriage ring which will maintain alignment of the bearing and drive surfaces thereof and will not interfere with adjoining parts.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hinge whose effective pivot axis is on or beyond the outer surfaces of the hinged members so that they need not be relieved to permit them to open yet which has no parts extending beyond the outer surfaces of the hinged members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a joint of the foregoing type that will be simple and inexpensive yet strong and highly accurate in its constraint of the motion of the parts, and which will be economical in operation both from the standpoint of maintenance and repair and operating time.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description thereof.

Briefly the invention comprises a pipe cleaning machine having a tool carriage ring split diametrically into tw parts with a link of adjustable length pivotally connected at its ends to the two parts of the ring on opposite sides of and close to one of the breaks thereof. The link may take the form of two rods each having an eye at one end and threaded at the other with the threaded ends connected by a turnbuckle. Each pivotal connection may comprise a stub shaft projecting from one side of one part of the ring and a bearing formed by the eye on one end of the link. The other break of the ring is provided with any releasable fastening 3 means such as two ears on opposite halves of the ring held together by a bolt and nut. When it is desired to open the ring the bolt and nut at one side are removed and the link at the other side lengthened permitting the ring to swing open. The reverse operation closes the ring.

For a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention reference will now be made to the. accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a pipe cleaning machine in position upon a pipe to be cleaned, the machine being shown only in general outline sufficient to indicate the relation of the bearing annulus and tool carriage ring to the machines; a whole Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the annulus and ring showing them partially open;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the ring; and

Figure 4 is a side view, partly in sectiomof a portion of the ring showing the details of the hinge.

Referring toFigure. 1, thereis shown the general. outline of a pipe cleaning machine comprising a supporting frame. I! having four legs depending. therefrom such as those shown at i2 and 53 within which are. pivotally mounted crawler wheels such as those shown at It. and [5. Disposed. on top. of the supporting frame H is a suitablesource of motive power, such as a gasoline engine. indicated. generally on the drawing at [6.

Depending from the. supporting frame Ii is a bearing. annulus. indicated generally at ll. The upper portion of the bearing annulus comprises twoplates. i8 and l.9.fastened to the underside of thesupporting frame I l and held apart in fixed spaced relation by spacing rods not shown. The lower. half. of. the bearing. annulus comprises a similar pair of. plates, 20. and 2|, also held together byspacing rods not shown. The. upper and lower portions of. the bearing annulus are hinged. together at one side. at 22 and 23 and releasably fastenedtogether at the other side by means not shownin Figure 1. The bearing annulus carries a plurality of rollers such asthose shown. at 24., 25, and. 26.. The rollersare rotatably mounted on shafts such. as those shown at 2.7:, 28., and 29, extending between the plates thereof. Each roller. is provided with a pair of annular. flanges such as those shown at 3.9 and 31. on. roller. 26.

Within the bearingannulus there is provided a tool. carriage ring. indicated generally on the drawing.bythereferencecharacter 32. The tool carriage ring is made up of an upperpair. of semi-circular plates 33. audit, and a lower. pair of semi-circular plates 35. and. 36. The inner edges of the lates forming the toolcarriagering are. welded to two semi-circular hoop-shaped plate s.31.and 38. The upper and lower portions of the ring are pivotally connected together at oneside and releasably fastened together at the other siderbut for..clarity these means have not been shown on Figure 1.

Each of the plates forming the tool carriage ring is provided with an exterior annular flange suchas that indicated at 39 on plate 33. These flanges extend outside the flanges 30 and 3| on the rollers of the bearing annulus, thereby holding the tool carriage ring in correct axial alignment with the bearing annulus. In between the flanges 3 9 -the outer edges of the plates forming the tool carriage ring provide tracks which ride on the flanges 30 and 3| of the rollers in the bearing annulus. Held between the opposite together at the other side.

plates of the ring by spacers such as those shown at 40 and ll are two semi-circular sprocket wheel segments 42 and 43. The diameter of the sprocket wheel is smaller than the diameter of the roller track. A drive chain 44 passes over the two halves of the sprocket wheel in the tool car= riage ring and over a drive sprocket 45 driven by the motor H6. The tool carriage ring is provided with a plurality of axially extending rods such as the one indicated at 5% upon which tools, not shown, may be mounted.

Before the machine is placed in operation, the two. halves of the bearing annulus and tool carriage ring are disconnected at one side and allowed to pivot about the hinges connecting them After the bearing annulus and tool carriage ring have been opened, the machine may be placed in position upon a pipe such as that indicated in dashed lines on the drawing at 4'! with the crawler wheels resting on h top surface of he ipe.- T e. bea in ane a d. 0 c r e. rin ma then be. f st ed to t and e m chin is d o ne a. The motor l6 acting through the drive lget 5. drive. ch n and. he. pr ke uhe ia i 99 arr e 1 11. will we he W lverine: ng, be at b ui. Pi .1 Wh d n n h o er e he bear n a nulus.

Referring to Figure 2 each ofthe plates con: stituting the bearing annulus and the. toolcar riage ring is provided with a projection suchas those indicated at 5045-4 512 andf53 in the case of the upper plates or an indentation such as h m qfi e at 5. 1 nd-51i h s of the lower plates. These projections andiniei ns mating whe h ea nn us and tool carriage ring are closed and cooperate to prevent relative sliding. of theupper, and lower parts thereof. At oneiside of. thefmachine, the joints between theupper. and lower halves. of the bearing annulus andjtool, carriage. ring are pro-, vided with readily disassemblable connecting means comprising ears 5%, 55, hi], and BI which are apertured and adapted tobe held. together by means of bolts andnuts such as those indi--. cated at 62 and 53. The joints at the other side of the bearing.annulus andtool carriage ring are provided with hinges. The hinge 22 on the bear: ing annulus is of an ordinary-type comprising. an apertured ear 6% secu'redto plate l8 and a bear. in'g pin 65 secured to plate 231, The hinge for the tool carriage ring is indicated generally at, 6 6,

A pair of apertured ears Gland BBare provided on the bearing annulus and. tool carriage ring respectively. Whenit is desiredtoremove the pipe cleaning machine from the pipe the tool carriage ring is turned until its hinge 6E is adjacent to hinge22 of thebearing annulus. In this position a bolt such as that shown at 6,9 may be passed through the ears 6} andtfi and secured witha nut 10 to hold the toolcarriage ring fixed in position withjrespectto the bearingannulus. This will keep the track onthe tool carriagering inproper alignment with the rollers of the bearing annulus even after the joints between the upper and lower partof theannulus and'ring have been broken and the lower portion thereof allowed to hinge downwardly.

Figure 3 shows a face ofthetoolcarriage ring opposite to that shown in Figure 2. From a comparison ofFigure 3 with Figure 2 it will be seen that thereis a.duplicationof elements on opposite faces of thetoollcarriage ring Like-parts on oppositefaces have been given likereference umb r A sh t 1in l e r 3. he p j ons on the plates forming the upper part of the ring that mesh with the indentations on the plates of the lower part of the ring are formed by spacer rods as shown at 5|. Holes for the tool mounting rods 45 are indicated at 10, H, and 12, being provided in threes to permit adjustment to pipes of different diameters.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 it will be seen that the hinge E6 comprises pins 73 and M screwed into plates i9 and 2! and welded as indicated at 15. These pins pass through the eyes in the heads 16 and T! on the ends of rods 78 and 19, the heads on the pins engaging the shoulders provided by the counterbores of the eyes as shown at 80 to retain the heads of the rods in position against the plates l9 and 2! while permitting them to pivot about the pins. The oppo-' site ends of the rods 18 and 19 are threaded and screwed into an interiorly threaded turnbuckle which is a hexagonal nut provided with a hole 82 therethrough into which a pin may be inserted to facilitate the turning thereof. Jam nuts 83 and 84 are provided for locking the turnbuckle in any desired adjusted position. The rods and the turnbuckle should be of such length that the link formed thereby can be extended until its length is at least equal to the sum of the distances between each of the two pivot pins and the outer edge of the adjacent joint between the two halves of the ring so that the two halves of the ring can pivot about the outer edge of the ring at the joint and swing all the way apart. As previously noted the hinge 68 is duplicated on opposite sides of the tool carriage ring. This provides a strong support preventing the two halves of the tool carriage ring from becoming axially misaligned while at the same time permitting the two halves to be hinged apart when the turnbuckle is released.

While a .perferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described it will be obvious that many modifications thereof can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, while the ring has been described as being split diametrically into two halves, the ring could be split along radii that are not in alignment or along one or more chords or into more than two parts or in other ways so long as sufiicient room were provided for the ring when open to pass over the pipe. It is intended to cover by Letters Patent all forms of the invention falling within the scope of the appended claims.

=I claim:

1. In a machine for performing operations upon a cylindrical body such as a pipe or rod, said machine including normally concentric annular bearing and shaft members adaptedto be placed around a cylindrical body, one of said members being provided with a plurality of rotatably mounted rollers disposed with their axes of rotation parallel to the common axis of the bearing and shaft and circumierentially spaced in a circle concentric with said common axis, the other member being provided with a smooth continuous outwardly facing cylindrical track engaging said rollers from inside said circle whereby said shaft and bearing are relatively rotatable about their common axis, said track member having a pair of annular smooth oppositely facingsurfaces lying in planes perpendicular to said common axis adapted to engage the rollers to prevent relative axial movement of said shaft and bearing, each of said members being divided along surfacestransverse to the circumference thereof into two segments, and means for holding said segments together in their normal position comprising a pivotal connection at one division of each of said members and releasable fastening means at the other division of each of said members, the improvement according to which said pivotal connection on the track member comprises a doubly pivoted hinge lying wholly within the outer periphery of said track member, said hinge comprising two adjustable length links each pivotally connected at one end to one segment of said track member and at the other end to the other segment of said track member, the pivot axis of each link upon each segment being in alignment with the pivot axis of the other link upon the same segment and parallel to the pivot axis of the same link uponthe other segment and to said common axis of the shaft and bearing, each of said pivotal connections of said links comprising a support fixed to one of said segments and connected with an end of one of said links, said support and end having engaged correlative concentric cylindrical surfaces: whose mutual axis constitutes the pivot axis of the link connection, said links each comprising a pair of at least approximately aligned rods, the adjacent ends of said rods being oppositely threaded, and a coupling having oppositely threaded ends engaged with the threaded ends of the rods, the length of each of said links being adjustable by turning said coupling relative to said rods between a retracted length at least as small as the distance between said pivot supports therefor when said segments are together in normal position and an extended length at least equal to the sum of the distances between each of the sup,- ports for the link and the outer edge of the adjacent line of division of the track member, said hinge positively preventing any relative motion of said segments when said segments are together in normal position and said links are adjusted to retracted length, and when said links are adjusted to extended length constraining the segments to relative motion only parallel to planes perpendicular to said common axis, the last said motion including rotation about an axis lying not closer to the common axis than the periphery of said track member and of sufiicient extent to provide an opening between the ends of the segments large enough to pass over the side of said cylindrical body while maintaining axial alignment of said segments.

"2. In a machine for performing operations upon a cylindrical body such as a pipe or rod, said machine including normally concentric annular bearing, shaft, and drive members adapted to be placed around a cylindrical body, said drive member having a smaller outer diameter than the largest diameter of the three members and being positively secured to said shaft, said bearing being provided with a plurality of rotatably mounted rollers disposed with their axes of rotation parallel to the common axis of the three members andcircumferentially spaced in a circle concentric with said common axis, said shaft be-- ing provided with a smooth continuous outwardly facing cylindrical track engaging said rollers from inside said circle whereby said shaft and bearing are relatively rotatable about their common axis, said shaft having a pair of annular smooth oppositely facing surfaceslying in planes perpendicular to said common axis adapted to engage the rollers to prevent relative axial movement of said shaft and bearing, each of said members being divided-along surfaces transverse 7 to the circumference thereof into two segments, nd me ns or h lding s i me s h r their normal position comprising a pivotal con nection at one division of each of said bearing and shaft and releasable fastening means at the other division of each of said bearing and shaft, the improvement. according to which said pivotal connection on the shaft comprises a doubly pivoted hinge lying wholly within the outer periphery of said shaft, said hinge comprising two adjustable length links each pivotally connected. at one end to one segment of said shaft and atv the other end to the other segment of said shaft,

the pivot axis of each link upon each segment being in alignment with the pivot axis of the other link upon the same segment and parallel to the pivot axis of the same link upon the other segment and to said common axis of the shaft and bearing, each of said pivotal connections of said links comprising a support fixed to one of said segments, and connected with an end of one of said. links, said support and end having engaged correlative concentric cylindrical surfaces whose mutual axis constitutes the pivot axis of the connection, said links each comprising a pair of .at least approximately aligned rods, the adjacent encls of said rods being oppositely threaded, and a coupling having oppositely threaded ends engaged with: the threaded ends of the rods, the length of each of said, links being adjustable by turning said coupling relative to said rods between a retracted length at least as small as the distance between said pivot supports therefor when said Segments are together in normal position and an extended length at least equal to the sum of the distances between each of the supports for the link and the outer edge of the ad.- jacent line of division of the shaft, said hinge positively preventing any relative motion of said segments when said segments are together in normal position. and said links are adjusted to retracted length, and when said links are ad,- justed to extended length constraining the segments to relative motion only parallel to planes perpendicular to said common axis, the last said motion including rotation about an axis lying not closer to the common axis than the periphery of said shaft and of sufficient extent to provide an opening between the ends of the segments large enough to pass over the side of said cylindrical body while maintaining axial alignment ofv said segments.

3. An extensible hinge comprising two members having correlative end surfaces adapted to make surface contact with each other, a pair of links each pivotally connected at one end tov a side surface of one of said members and atv the other end to a side surface of the other of said members, the pivot axis of each link upon each member being aligned with the pivot axis of comprising a support fixed to one of said members and connected with an end of one of said.

links, said supportandend having engaged correlative concentric cylindrical surfaces whose mutual axis constitutes the pivot axis of the connection, said links each comprising a pair of atleast approximately aligned rods, the adjacentv ends of said rodsbeing oppositely threaded, and,

a coupling havingopposi-tely threaded ends ,en-.

e sed with the hreaded nds f the rods...tb' length of each ofsaid links being adjustable by;

turning.saidqcounling relative to aid qdszzc er arange between a short length causing said correlative surfaces to come into tight contact and a long length in which said surfaces are separated, the links and their connections to said members being disposed out of the path of travel of said surfaces between said separated and contacting positions leaving said path free and clear of all obstructions.

4. A ring divided diametrically into two halves having coplanar ends, the two halves being connected together at one division point by a pair of links of adjustable length, means permanently pivotally connecting each link at one end to one half and at the other end to the other half, said pivotal connections on each half having aligned pivot axes parallel to the pivot axes of the con.- nections on the other half and to the ring axis, said pivotal connections constraining the links and. halves to relative motion about said axes, each of said links being extensible to a length at least equal to the sum of the distances from each of the pivot axes at the ends thereof to the outer edge of the adjacent line of division of the ring, the two halves being provided at L their ends opposite said one division point with releasable fastening means, said two halves of the ring being further provided. at their joining. coplanar surfaces with interlocking means for preventing relative displacement. of the two halves in a direction. transverse to the axis of the. ring when the two halves arejoinedtogether.

5. In combination, a bearing annulus, an annular shaft concentrically supported by the inner periphery of the bearing annulus and constrained thereby to rotation inside the bearing about the common axis, cooperating flange means on said bearing annulus and annular shaft for preventsing' relative axial motion thereof, each of said shaft and annulus being a full closed circular member, each of said members being divided into two parts, the two .parts of each of said members being hingedly connected together at one side and releasably fastened together at the other side, and means independent of the surfaces of said bearing annulus and annular shaft. that. are in contact when .said shaft rotates on. said bearing for fixedly securing one part of said annulus to one part of said shaft when said shaft is rotated intoa position relative to said bearing annulus in which said hinges are ad-.

jacent each other, whereby axial. displacement of. said shaftv relative to said bearing annulusis prevented when said parts are unfastened and swung apart upon their hinges, said securing means being releasable Without unhinging of said parts.

6. A ring divided into two arcuate sections, the .two sections being .connected together at one. division point by a pair of links, each link being pivotallyconnected atone end to one section by means of. a closed eye surrounding a pivot pin, said eye and pin members being disposed onev member on the section and the other member. onthe link, each of said links being connected in like manner at the other end to the other section,;said pivoted connections on each section having aligned pivot axes parallel to the pivot axes of the connections on theother section and just the length of each of said'links over a range: between a shortlengthin which the :two. sectionsare' held tightly together in a ring and an extended length, at -least equal. to. thesumof the.

distances between each of the pivot pins therefor and the outer edge of the adjacent line of division of the ring, the two sections being provided at their ends opposite said one division point with releasable fastening means, and means comprising at least a portion of the junction surfaces of said sections at one, at least, of the division points of said ring and another such portion transversely disposed relative thereto for preventing relative displacement of the two sections in a direction transverse to the axis of the ring when the two sections are secured together by said links and said fastening means.

ROBERT A. J. DAWSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 10 Name Date Lee June 9, 1914 Eek June 29, 1915 Marsh May 30, 1922 Suman Sept. 12, 1922 Vissering Jan. 31, 1928 Morris June 25, 1929 Crist Apr. 15, 1930 McManis July 21, 1931 Coleman et al Aug. 13, 1935 Baum et a1. July 7, 1936 Pfohl et a1 Feb. 3, 1942 Elliott Dec. 12, 1944 

